Interdimensional: Long Days' Journey
by t.j.guard
Summary: Perry and Platyborg continue to chase down Rodney and his army of rogue Normbots, limited only by Perry's bandages and the clock.
1. Chapter 1

Interdimensional: Long Days' Journey

Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas and Ferb.

A/N: Same as last time, I'll begin each chapter by indicating the POV it is set in.  
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Chapter One

THIRD PERSON

"Boys, exactly what have you been doing this summer?" Major Monogram asked, examining the boys closely. They were in the hall at the O.W.C.A. veterinary facility, just outside Perry's room.

"We build things, sir," Phineas replied. "We're a little young, but we make sure to have all the permits in place whenever possible. Wanna see what we were working on before this madness started?"

"Is it some sort of machine on a grand scale designed to solve one unique problem which will vanish somehow before your sister can bust you to your parents?"

"How'd you know all that?"

"Apparently Agent P. is keeping very close tabs on you."

"Wouldn't surprise me. He does love us."

"You...know?"

Phineas rubbed the back of his head and looked down at the corner between the floor and the wall. "Uh, well..." he began.

"I hope he didn't say too much."

"He doesn't really talk. He _is_ a platypus, after all."

"Oh, well then. If you would please come with me." Monogram turned to walk down the hall. Phineas and Ferb followed anxiously.

"Do you have to send him away?"

"Given your technical skill, we would like to observe you two until you are eligible for employment."

"You're gonna give us jobs?"

"Platyborg was kind enough to point it out to me, because even though I wrote the O.W.C.A. rulebook, I forgot about the possible employment of technical prodigies in agents' host families."

"Wait, because of everything we did this summer, you want to employ us?"

"Yes, when you're old enough. Child labor laws and all that, and it's much too risky to involve children in missions, even if all they do is make the gadgets." The threesome walked into Perry's lair, and Monogram pulled up the slideshow of their inventions. "The trouble is, you boys have to agree to keep this place a secret, along with the identity of your pet as one of our operatives."

"Don't worry. We're pretty good at it."

"Good, because this portal situation is getting touchy. Agent K. never reported back to us, and Agent P. is in no condition as of yet to share with us what he's learned."

Phineas glanced at Ferb and then returned his attention to Monogram. "Is it unusual for Agent K. to not report back?"

"After twelve hours, yes. She is a close second to Agent P. and is able to foil Rodney in a matter of an hour."

"What if Agent K. is the reason Perry is in the hospital?"

"Impossible."

"Nothing's impossible," Ferb said.

"I'll tell Carl to run a check for Agent K. He'll need something to do, anyway, considering what a wreck he's become."

"Does that kid Carl work here?"

"He's an intern."

"Oh."

"Anyway, what do you kids say?"

"To your job offer?" Phineas looked at Ferb, who nodded. "Okay, we're in."

"Excellent. Based on what I see here, you two will make fine agents."

"Thank you, Mr. Monogram."

"Major Monogram."

"Thanks."

Monogram nodded and walked out of the lair to a secret room that the brothers pretended not to notice. Phineas and Ferb walked down the hall to the veterinary facility, specifically Perry's room. Carl and Platyborg were seated at his bed, and Perry smiled at the brothers when they entered, despite the pain he was probably in. "Hey, boy," Phineas said, ruffling Perry's fur. "Major Monogram wants us to work for the agency when we grow up." Perry smiled broader.

"I knew once he saw all the stuff you made he'd come around," Carl cheered.

"Oh, and he wants you to check up on Agent K."

"Okay. I guess I better go do that." Carl nodded and walked out of the room. At the door, he paused and added, "Take care of Agent P."

"We will." Carl closed the door behind him, and Phineas looked back at Perry. "You're in good hands, pal," he whispered, still rubbing the platypus' fur. Perry smiled up at them, and Platyborg smiled as well. Ferb checked his watch and brought the time to Phineas' attention. "Well, we better go," he said. "We'll tell Mom, Dad, and Candace that you're okay." Phineas rubbed Perry's head yet again, and with that, he and Ferb walked out of the hospital room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

PERRY

I let out a soft sigh, watching my kids leave. "They're good kids," I said to Platyborg.

"Yeah, I know," he replied. "Mine are like that, too. They're even working on some of the same projects."

"Probably won't get through a lot of them. School starts soon."

"That's what blueprints and storage boxes are for. They can pick up where they left off next summer."

"I guess so."

"Perry, I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt. Just the opposite. It's my fault you're in a bed in a vet's place somewhere under Danville."

"No, it's not your fault, Platyborg. It's Rodney's fault, even if he didn't directly shoot us."

"I could've saved you."

"And you tried. I know you did. You didn't do anything wrong, Platyborg."

Platyborg smiled down at me. "You're just as strong as I am. You'll be back in the field in no time."

"Yeah, I know, but until then, look after those kids for me, and if anything happens to them, get the perps for me."

"I will."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

I chuckled. "I'll try not to." Platyborg looked away, and I instantly knew why. "The portal should still be open."

"Those boys are busted, aren't they?"

"Depends on whether Linda believes the boys opened the portal or not, and remember Candace and Stacy screaming that the portal was the 'mysterious force'? They're not gonna bust the boys for something they think is beyond the control of two ten-year-olds, let alone themselves."

"Doesn't everybody in your dimension think she's crazy?"

"More or less. My boys are pretty safe, and I'll be just fine. If you wanna check on your boys, go ahead. I'm not going anywhere." Platyborg smiled and walked out of the hospital room.

I'd have the same problem if I was torn between checking on my kids and watching my alter while he lay in a hospital bed after a hard fall he shouldn't have survived, so I couldn't blame him.

"Good evening, Agent P.," Monogram said as he walked into the room. "Carl's working on tracking down Agent K., and if I may ask, do you know anything that might be able to help us out?" I chattered. "Oh, right, yes. Sorry, I completely forgot about that." Amazingly, I managed a shrug, albeit a small one, considering. "Anyway, I'll have a look at those pictures. You get some rest."

I nodded, and Monogram walked out of the room. I closed my eyes, allowing my limbs to grow heavy. From what I'd learned over the years, Rodney seemed to be holding out on his nemesis, biding his time. That was the scariest part of a nemesis like him, or any nemesis, for that matter, but while I could count my blessings, I deeply regretted what had happened to Agent K., the cyborg cat.

That same thing had happened to Platyborg, which led me to wonder if that was where Rodney had gotten the idea. It was entirely possible, since I knew Doof hadn't caught on yet, and besides, Doof and I were on remarkably good terms despite being nemeses. I had my doubts that First Dimension Doofenshmirtz would turn me into a cyborg, and I had my doubts that Second Dimension Doofenshmirtz would do the same, having gotten Choo-Choo back at the end of the first Battle for Danville.

Then there were the Normbots. Intelligence reports and evidence gathered by Platyborg and myself suggested that Rodney had something to do with them going rogue, but where did he find them? The ones that hadn't been destroyed were back in the Second Dimension, in storage or something like that.

They had to have been a different model than the ones that initially invaded Danville, otherwise they'd have been destroyed, too.

But how would Rodney have gotten to them? I didn't recall seeing any sort of portal at all, but his apartment had been exceptionally dark, and he had ordered a fog machine. He was hiding something, of that I was certain.

I couldn't go back to his apartment, otherwise I'd risk being killed or made into a cyborg, and that was if I was lucky. I may have been the best agent in my division, but even I couldn't take such a huge risk.

My thoughts faded, and I drifted off into a remarkably dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

PLATYBORG

I slipped out of Perry's lair largely unnoticed. Perry was right; the portal in the backyard was still open, but I spotted Candace and Stacy watching the portal anxiously, chattering amongst themselves about the mysterious force. Maybe they really were crazy, or First Dimension Candace's insanity was contagious. Either way, going through his portal would be dangerous.

There was one in the D.E.I. building. Judging by the intensity of the girls' conversation, I could take off at fifty percent power without being noticed. I could kick it up later.

I took off at forty-five percent power without either of them looking up. I was up to eighty percent power by the time I was twenty feet away from Maple Street, and before I knew it, I was in sight of the D.E.I. building. Just a few more feet, and I could tone down the power.

I landed easily on the balcony. The window was still damaged from that morning, but I knocked anyway. "Oh, hello, Perry the Platypus robot," First Dimension Doofenshmirtz said, gesturing for me to come in. I stepped over the shards of glass that were still in the door's frame and looked around his apartment. This portal was still open, as well, and that left me no reason to assume that the portal at Rodney's place wasn't still open. How could we shut the three of them simultaneously? Could it even be done? "Oh, that? Well, I have the feeling I should shut it off, but something else tells me that's a bad idea. What do you think I should do?" I chattered. "Okay, that settles it. The portal stays open. Feel free to use it. I'm not." He walked into the kitchen before I could respond, which for some reason bothered me a little bit.

I turned toward the portal, but the room on the other side appeared to be empty. I stepped forward and peered around the edges of the portal. Still the room seemed compltely empty, so I stepped forward, fully expecting to be ambushed. I looked around, and the room was truly empty. Perhaps I was being a little paranoid, a side-effect of my years as a general of a ruthless conquering army.

I peered through the portal again, and it turned out that the other dimension Doof's apartment was as empty as the apartment I was standing in right now.

Okay, Platyborg, focus, I told myself. You have work to do.

I deployed my wings and shot through the roof, leveling off almost a hundred feet over Danville. The dive I took was shallow, and I flew slowly, still expecting to be ambushed. After all, I knew I wasn't out of the woods yet.

I reached Maple Street and landed just behind the gate to Isabella Garcia-Shapiro's front yard. The trap door gave way, and I tumbled into a chamber beneath, tied up by the Firestorm Girls. "Whadda you want?" Isabella asked. I chattered. "Okay, release him." The girls pulled at the jumpropes, and I was free. I followed them to the main control room, where my Phineas and Ferb were hard at work on their day's project.

"Oh, there you are, Perry," Phineas said, more relief in his voice than I anticipated. He scratched my neck, and my tail jerked up. I let out a chatter. "Aw."

"Oh, good, the platyborg is here," Candace said. "Maybe he can hack Doof's main system."

I followed her to the computer, where I shamelessly stood on two feet and typed in the code. "Access granted," the computer said. It sounded like Doofenshmirtz, which didn't surprise me in the least. "Welcome back, Platyborg."

"Now, let's see if we can track those rogue Normbots."

I walked back over so I could watch Phineas and Ferb work. As far as I knew, I wasn't about to go anywhere, especially when I just got back.

"Okay, girls, we're moving out. Perry, stay here, make sure my brothers are safe."

I nodded, watching Candace and the Firestorm Girls march out of the control room.

While I watched the boys, I allowed my thoughts to wander. I'd recieved visual and audio proof that they were safe, leaving my mind for other worries, such as Perry, my alter. He never blamed me or any other such thing, but his encouraging words didn't really change the fact that I still felt as if I had somehow caused Perry's injuries.

He believed in me, which I found rather surprising. I was still trying to rebuild my relationship with Phineas and Ferb, but every disappearing act I pulled only seemed to make them panic. I had only pulled one ever since I'd returned, but it didn't change anything. They worried, probably thinking I had returned to the side of evil and would come after them, or that I had been killed. While neither was true, it wasn't like I could communicate that to them.

I looked over to where Baljeet sat, monitoring the positions of the Firestorm Girls, Candace, and some rogue Normbots. Rodney seemed to be behind the rogues, though I wasn't sure how. That would call for some investigation.

I knew what I was going to do today.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

THIRD PERSON

Phineas and Ferb lay on their beds, staring up at the ceiling. "Do you think we made the right choice?" Phineas asked. "Taking that job from Monogram? I mean, we're not exactly working, not for a while. We're probably going to be observed and monitored, trained and all that, but do you think we're doing the right thing?"

"One never truly knows if one is doing the right thing," Ferb replied. "That's why you must follow your instincts."

"But I really don't know. I think it's a good idea, but I could be completely wrong." Phineas sat up and looked over at his brother, who was also sitting up. "I mean, we could really help Perry and all of his animal agent friends, and whoever else they're working with, but what if we get caught? And I don't just mean by Mom."

"She did seem excited that we had a job offer lined up."

"Yeah, yeah she did. Won't stop Candace from trying to bust us."

"She should seek psychological help."

Phineas glanced at the alarm clock. "We should probably get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow." Ferb nodded, and they lay back down and closed their eyes.

PNF

Vanessa leaned against the wall, watching her father put the finishing touches on the blueprints of his latest -inator. "Uh, Dad, you do know Perry was in the hospital, right?" she asked.

"Yes, I know, but this is the perfect -inator. We use it to find Rodney and reverse whatever he did to those robots to make them want to kill us," Doofenshmirtz replied.

"I thought they were rogues."

"Yes, but apparently Normbots can't think for themselves. Someone is controlling them, and that someone is Rodney."

"So you think you can design and build a complicated contraption to reverse it?"

"Well, it's worth a shot."

"Just make sure you get to bed at a decent hour, like the rest of us."

"Yes, mother."

"Hey, I have to be the sane, responsible one around here."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I've heard the speech before."

"Yeah, whatever." Vanessa walked into her bedroom and checked her messages one last time for the day. Nothing.

She looked at the door, beyond which her father worked on developing his new contraption with his usual intensity mixed with slight insanity. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

PNF

Carl swallowed his cries for the umpteenth time and returned his attention to the screen in front of him. It was difficult to avoid thinking about what happened to Agent P., but it did help that he was doing something beneficial to the agency's work.

If he could ever track down Agent K. Her last known signals were from the apartment building Agent P. had been sent to, which was a clue, and given the pictures Agent P. recently uploaded, it didn't seem likely that the agency would hear from Agent K. again. At least, not of her own free will. Unless something drastic happened, which was equally unlikely.

Something about this really put Carl off, and he thought of Platyborg, of all people. He wasn't sure how it fit together, but he was pretty sure that they were all pieces to the same puzzle.

He pondered the images of the cyborg cat a little longer, wondering if he had enough puzzle pieces to form a coherent picture.

"Have you found anything, Carl?" Monogram asked as he walked into the office, interrupting Carl's musings.

"Uh, sir, I think I know what happened to Agent K.," Carl replied, pointing to the screen, where an image of the cyborg cat in flight could be seen.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

PERRY

I awoke to the sound of Monogram's voice, distributing tasks to other agents. Carl must've discovered that Agent K. and the cyborg cat were one and the same. My head was pounding, and I couldn't keep my eyes open. They burned, and it struck me that this was what Platyborg must've felt like when he first entered our dimension. His eyes, or visual censors, or whatever they were to him, must've been sore for what felt like days.

"Good morning, Agent P.," Carl said when he burst into my room. I winced at the sound of his voice. It was making my headache worse. He may as well have been holding a blow horn to my ear and yelling at the top of his lungs. "Sorry," he breathed. Ah, that was better. "So, we found Agent K." I knew it. "Sorry you got hurt. I mean, we could send you, too, but we don't want you to get hurt worse than you already are." Carl took a seat next to my bed. "You're gonna make it through this, Agent P. I know you will." I smiled. "Well, I better go. I just wanted to say hi before I went back to work. Get well soon, Agent P." I managed to open my eyes and look at him, and I watched him as he walked out of the room.

I closed my eyes again, tempering my headache. The agent in me began assessing the situation. Phineas and Ferb were safe at home, Platyborg was spending the day in the other dimension with his Phineas and Ferb and possibly doing some work with the Resistance with regard to the rogue Normbots, and I was...here, in a hospital bed under Danville, thinking about what other people were doing and where they were.

I was here, in a neckbrace and bandages, feeling more useless than I ever had in my entire life. I was a top O.W.C.A. agent, for the love of God, and I was here, of all places. I, Secret Agent Perry the Platypus, also known as Agent P., was in a hospital bed, out of commission because of an injury. If Platyborg blamed himself for what happened, he should've been in my mind, feeling what I was feeling at that moment.

One of the doctors walked into the room. "How're you feeling today?" he asked. In spite of the volume of his voice, I managed a chatter, desperately hoping he understood platypus. "Don't worry. We'll find some painkillers to take care of it." He did understand platypus. Thank God. Then again, it was probably why he was here in the first place. He patted me softly on the head before walking out of the room. He returned a few minutes later with a syringe. "This'll take care of that nasty headache," he whispered, injecting the clear liquid into my arm. He walked out of the room again, but by then, my headache was already beginning to abate.

I could now begin to focus on other things, such as Rodney, the former Agent K., and the three portals. If Platyborg was an expert strategist, maybe I could be, too. The three portals had to be closed, all at the same time, which would require three devices all operated by people acting in perfect synchronization.

I couldn't believe it, but I needed Doofenshmirtz.

I took as deep a breath as my bandages allowed, and while the painkillers worked on the pain in my chest, I knew it would be difficult. I could pull through, I knew it. Platyborg had done it, regardless of how much of him was metal. I could do it, too.

I crawled out of the bed and waddled over to the door, slipping out of the room and down the hall. I turned to go down to my lair, being careful not to attract the attention of other people present. I slipped into my lair, which was silent, and hopped into my rocket car. I stepped on the gas gently, shooting up out of the lair and reaching the top of the skyline of Danville within seconds. I turned and made my way over to Doofenshmirtz's apartment.

I parked the rocket car in the back parking lot and hopped out, walking around the front of the building, entering the lobby, and taking the elevator to the top floor. I walked down the hall and rang the doorbell to Doofenshmirtz's apartment. "Perry the Platypus, what're you doing here? I thought you were in the hospital," Doof said. I pointed to the portal and the blueprints stack on his desk. "Wow, I really don't know where you're going with this." I slapped my face with my palm and repeated my gestures. "Wait, do you want me to build an -inator?" I nodded. He could really be stupid sometimes. "What do you want it to do?" I pointed to the portal again and held up three fingers. "I don't think we need any more interdimensional portals, Perry the Platypus." I rolled my eyes and opened the door. I chattered and shut the door, and I gestured to the portal again. "Oh, I get it. You want me to build an -inator that will close all the portals at the same time." I nodded. "Oh, well, why didn't you say so?" I rolled my eyes again.

Doof walked over to his desk and picked up a roll of blueprint paper and some pencils. "You can show yourself out, Perry the Platypus. This will be a while," he said. I nodded and walked out of his apartment. So far so good, I hoped.

PNF

After parking the rocket car in my lair without setting off any alarm bells, I slipped back into my hospital bed and pretended I hadn't done anything. Considering that the consensus was that platypode didn't do much, it was pretty easy.

"Oh, hey, Agent P.," Carl said as he walked into the room. "Feel better?" I nodded. "Okay, good." He wiped his nose on his sleeve and sniffed. He must've had a free moment to think about what happened to me. "Thanks to you we found Agent K. Sorry she's a cyborg now, but what're we gonna do, right?" He let out a nervous laugh, and I chattered. "Yeah, I know, but it's kinda tough to think about other things right now." He rubbed the back of his head and looked away. I chattered again and gave him a reassuring smile. "Thanks, Agent P.," he said. With that, he rushed out of the room.

Oh, Carl, I thought, shaking my head slightly. I had the suspicious feeling I wouldn't have any luck in determining what exactly he was thanking me for, but it was Carl we were dealing with.

I closed my eyes, suddenly feeling the weight of my excursion settle into my limbs.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

PLATYBORG

I landed lightly amid the rubble in the parking lot at the newly demolished Doofenshmirtz Apartment Building Seventy-Eight, and I directed my gaze skyward. There it was, the third portal, about eighty feet up. I floated up so that I was level with the portal.

The room beyond was nearly pitch black, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say that the portal had opened into an abyss.

Gingerly, I slipped through the portal and switched to night vision. I scanned the apartment. The room I was in was devoid of life, thankfully, so I could look around with ease. On the coffee table I found a blueprint for the Otherdimensionator, and I immediately recognized Doofenshmirtz's handwriting. So Rodney hadn't opened the portal with a device of his own. He might've never made a device of his own, come to think of it.

I turned away from the coffee table, blueprints still in hand, and studied the area around the portal. There it was, in a corner, facing the door. The Otherdimensionator.

That brought the tally of devices to a remote and two Otherdimensionators. Now if only they could all be shut off or destroyed at the same time.

My wrist beeped, and I switched back into regular vision before answering. "Ah, good, I finally got this thing working," Second Dimension Doofenshmirtz said. "Oh, hello, Platyborg. Sorry to bother you but could you come down to the basement and untie us?" I raised an eyebrow, but then I noticed the rope around his torso. A flash of long brown hair behind his head indicated that Vanessa was strapped to his back with the same rope. I nodded curtly and hung up, switching back to night vision just so I could find the door.

As soon as I was in the hall, however, I no longer needed the night vision. I wsa fairly certain they hadn't gotten anyone to repair the video feed yet, so it was safe for me to slip into the stairwell and walk down the last several flights of stairs. When I reached the bottom, I checked the sign. This was where Second Dimension Doof said he was, so I tried the door. It was locked, so I swapped one of my hands out for a saw and cut around the lock. The door swung open, and what I'd cut out of it fell to the floor with a soft thud.

I walked into the basement, which was empty save a few washing machines, a fuse box, and some boxes scattered about randomly. The boxes were a big clue, as I'd spotted a few in the background when Doof called, and since there weren't very many boxes, or very much of anything, for that matter, finding Second Dimension Doof and First Dimension Vanessa was easy.

I studied the rope, particularly the knot, which was impressive, to say the least. Not the best knot to try to untie if you were crunched for time. I skipped untying it altogether and cut the rope the same way I cut the lock out of the door, with the saw. They stood and dusted themselves off. "Thank you, Platyborg," Doof said, reaching down to pat me on the head. I stepped away and shot him a look that warned him not to push his luck. He stepped back and held his hands up as if in surrender.

"Looks like you're my kind of cyborg," Vanessa said approvingly, and I couldn't help but smile. I turned to leave when I was siezed by the strangest sense of dread. I looked around slowly, listening. Finally, I checked the readings on the radar screen on my wrist. Besides the three of us, there was no one else in the basement. I gestured for them to follow me, and we slipped into the stairwell. I continued to scan the radar screen periodically as we ascended. I couldn't detect anyone following us or lying in wait to ambush us; our way all the way up to the fourth floor was safe, and from there I could get us safely out of the building.

I led us down the hall of the fourth floor, to apartment Four Thirteen, and after I opened the door, I switched on my night vision. I let out a chatter and carefully led us through the apartment to the portal. I chattered again once we reached the portal, and I checked to make sure Second Dimension Doofenshmirtz and Vanessa were holding on tightly. I deployed my wings and flew through the portal, switching back into normal vision and landing easily in the parking lot. "Ah, it's good to be home," Doof said.

I looked up at the portal, which had returned to its original state, and then I returned my attention to the Second Dimension. The sense of dread was still there, and I wasn't sure if it came from the First Dimension or this one, which was remarkably bothersome to me. I'd learned to trust my gut, but I didn't know what my gut was telling me.

"Okay, so now what?" Vanessa asked. I checked the time and gestured for the two to follow me. We walked down the street, and I typed in the access code for Doof's apartment building. "Nice place you got here," she said when we entered the lobby.

"Thanks," Second Dimension Doof replied.

I reached another door, and I typed in the access code. A door slid open with a hiss, and I led them into what used to be my office and apartment. My basket was in one corner, and there was a couch opposite it. I passed Second Dimension Doof the key to his apartment that I still had, and he walked out of the room without another word. Vanessa lay down on the couch, and I walked over to the desk, running a few routine checks before turning the computer off.

I crawled into my basket and tucked myself in, checking the time once more. I closed my eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

THIRD PERSON

Phineas yawned and stretched out, hitting the button on his alarm clock before it had a chance to wake him. Ferb was awake soon after. The boys met the rest of their family at the kitchen counter, where the two boys poured themselves bowls of cereal. "Where's Perry?" Candace asked. "I thought he'd be back by now."

"He's in a special veterinary facility," Phineas replied.

"Oh, what happened? Is he okay?" Linda asked.

"He fell. He'll be fine, though. Platyborg and some others helped him."

"Oh, that's nice of them."

"Yes, very nice."

"Well, it's nice to know that Perry's gonna be okay."

"Yeah. You don't mind if we go check on him, do you?"

"No, that's fine. I think he'll appreciate it."

Phineas exchanged a glance with Ferb and said, "We know he will."

PNF

About midmorning, Phineas and Ferb walked down the subterrainian tunnel to Perry's hospital room. Perry was sleeping softly on the bed. "Aww," Phineas said, reaching down to rub the platypus' head softly. "He doesn't look like he's hurt at all, except the bandages, of course. If you look close enough, he looks like he's smiling."

"Yes, yes he does," Ferb replied. They took their seats, watching their pet.

Perry let out a soft moan, and his eyes fluttered open. "Hey, buddy," Phineas whispered. "How ya feelin'?" Perry looked up at them and smiled. Phineas rubbed his head again, and he closed his eyes, tilting his head toward his owner's hand. "We should build something special, just for him. Hey, Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today."

Perry shook his head softly. Phineas and Ferb rushed out of the hospital room, already discussing their plan for the day. Perry looked up at the ceiling, debating whether or not to contact Platyborg.

The doctor walked in, interrupting his thought process. "How're you doing today?" he asked, reaching down to rub Perry's head. Even if he could speak, he wasn't sure he wanted to. "Well, we'll just run a few tests, see how you're doing. It looks like you're responding well to the painkillers. Anyway, we'll run those tests, and then we'll see about discharging you to the care of your family. Sound good?" He nodded. "Okay." He nodded again. It's not like my bandages are going to let me go anywhere, he thought. The doctor walked out of the room, leaving Perry alone with his thoughts.

PNF

Vanessa, Platyborg, and Second Dimension Doofenshmirtz met in the lobby of Doof's apartment building. "Alright, so what's the plan?" Vanessa asked, looking at Platyborg, who checked the readouts on his wrist and chattered. "Okay, so, when do we leave?" I chattered again.

"Wait, why do I have to stay here?" Second Dimension Doof demanded, folding his arms across his chest. Platyborg gave him a deadpan look, to which Doof replied, "Well, I guess that makes sense." He lowered his arms and sank into a chair, and Platyborg gestured for Vanessa to follow him out the door.

"Okay, so where exactly are we going?" Vanessa asked. Platyborg chattered. "Storage?" He nodded. "Okay, then."

The two reached the storage facility without further incident, and Platyborg typed in the access code, which he was amazed still worked. Vanessa followed the cybernetic platypus inside, to a warehouse with a large 'D' painted on the door in black. Platyborg went through the unlocking process, and they walked inside. "Is it supposed to be dark?" Vanessa asked, and Platyborg nodded, switching to night vision. "Okay."

Platyborg examined the storage unit. This was where he'd been told the prototype Normbots had been stored, and though he had no reason to trust Doofenshmirtz's word, he had no other lead to follow.

The storage unit was empty, and there was a large hole close to the far wall. He took a few steps toward the hole, and Vanessa followed at his heels. Once Platyborg reached the hole, he studied it intensely, pacing a full circle around it. He knelt and tried to see if it was used to burrow underneath the storage facility, but the hole was too deep for him to reach any conclusion regarding the matter.

Platyborg gestured to Vanessa, who leaned in and peered down the hole. "Oh, no," she said. "I'm not going down there, not on my own." He held his hand out to her, which she took with both of her hands, and he deployed his wings.

They descended slowly for what seemed like an eternity before they reached the bottom. Vanessa hung close to Platyborg as he walked down the tunnel, to the point of resting a hand on his neck. Platyborg scanned the tunnel ahead, wondering where Rodney would be taking Normbots with this.

The tunnel seemed to continue into eternity, which was why Vanessa was surprised when Platyborg suddenly stopped her. "What's going on?" she asked. Platyborg swapped one of his hands out for a flare gun and fired toward the bottom of the cave. The flare reached the bottom four seconds later, but what it illuminated as it flew past was equally enlightening, even without night vision. "What are a bunch of giant robots doing down here?" Platyborg chattered. "So, I need a sec to get up to speed. Rodney's up to something, I get that, but what does he need a bunch of defective robots for?" Platyborg shrugged. "Guess that's why we're here, then."

Platyborg stepped forward slowly, feeling for the edge of the tunnel with his organic foot. Instead of a hard rock drop-off, his foot touched metal before it came to the corner which indicated the drop-off. Odd, he thought.

Vanessa knocked against the rock, which sounded oddly like metal. "Okay, this is really, really weird," she said. Platyborg backed up against her, his eyes watching the cave carefully. "We should go." Platyborg nodded, took her hand, and and led her out of the tunnel the way they had come.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

PERRY

I chewed my bill, feeling myself get jumpier by the second. I knew I had broken ribs and a broken neck, but it seemed laughable to me that I should be expected to just lie there until I healed.

I winced as I sat up, but it didn't stop me. I hopped out of bed and made my way out of my hospital room. I had to do something, and besides, a little exercise never hurt anyone. I slipped out of my room, just as I had the previous day, except then I was on painkillers and had a rocket car to get me most of the way, and besides, I was on a mission then. This time, I was just getting a little exercise to ease the jumpiness.

I walked down the hall away from my lair, listening. The hall was completely quiet save for the sound of my own footsteps. The neckbrace didn't allow me to move my head very much, which bugged me to no end, but I put up with it.

The silence of the hall was interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice. "Yes, I know I haven't found anything yet, but I'm certain it's here somehwere," Rodney said. Oh, great. What does he want? He'd paused, which seemed to me like something one would do if one were on the phone. "If you refuse to find results, I will." I heard the click of a cell phone snapping shut, and I pressed myself against the wall, waiting for the door to open and Rodney to storm out, but that didn't happen. I backed away from the wall and studied the keypad. Agent K. must've still remembered the code and gotten Rodney in, but what was the objective?

I hesitated to enter the room for fear of being stuck in an unusually complicated trap, despite this still being part of the O.W.C.A. facility, but evidence suggested that security had been compromised. I typed in the access code, and the door hissed open.

The room beyond was completely empty, but I noticed a tape player on a nearby stack of crates. So, this was what was providing Rodney's voice, but how did it get here, and why was it there, anyway? I picked the tape player up and pressed 'stop', and I put it back in its place.

I heard a hiss behind me, and immediately I recognized it. I let out a chatter, indicating that I had heard her, and then I turned around. Agent K., the cyborg cat, was standing in the doorway, and somehow, this didn't surprise me. She stepped forward, and I could tell she was ready to pounce. I chattered again and gestured to the tape player. This seemed to surprise Agent K., so I raised an eyebrow, indicating that I expected an answer.

Agent K. fidgeted, and what hair she had left stood on end. I chattered yet again, tapping my foot impatiently and folding my arms across my chest, albeit gingerly.

She pounced, and I dodged right, snatching the tape player as I did so. I ran toward the door, and I pressed the automatic lock button before slipping out of the room. The door hissed closed, and though my bandages restricted my rib cage, I managed a sigh of relief.

I popped open the tape player and examined the tape. Ultimately I decided to flip the tape over, put it back in the player, and press 'play'. After a few minutes of static, I pressed 'stop'. So he only recorded the first side of the tape. Interesting.

I walked back into my room and tucked the tape player under my pillow before slipping back under the covers. I rubbed my eyes. It'd been an interesting day, to say the least, and I still didn't get any answers as to what the hell was going on with Rodney and Agent K. Platyborg hadn't contacted me in a while, which led me to worry about where he was and if he was alright, but he was a tough cybernetic platypus if recent events were anything to go by.

Okay, focus, I told myself. What've we got so far? A tape made by Rodney in order to throw us off the trail for whatever reason. My thoughts paused right then. Rodney was trying to throw us a curveball. The tape was a Red Herring, but the motives behind it seemed elusive.

I pulled the tape player out of its hiding spot and examined it. It was a generic tape player, nothing fancy, which was a little unusual, to say the least. I turned it over in my hands, studying it closely, but I couldn't see any sort of self-destruct device or any indication that it would do anything evil. Rodney was a sneaky bastard.

I heard footsteps, and I tucked the tape player back under my pillow. "Hey, Agent P.," Carl said. "Just wanted to check on you after, well, you know." He rubbed the back of his neck, though I was probably more nervous than he was, since I was the one that snuck out. Twice. "It's good to know you're okay. Agent K.'s been kinda touchy lately." I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, it is kind of an understatement." I pulled out the tape player and handed it to him. He studied it as closely and I had. "Okay, Agent P., we'll study this and see what we can do about Agent K." I nodded, and Carl walked out of the room.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

PLATYBORG

I led Vanessa down the tunnel, listening for any sign of activity from the Normbots, which I soon heard. "Present your papers or be destroyed," they all said at the same time. I chattered to Vanessa, who knelt so that she could wrap her arms around my neck, and I deployed my wings, taking off as horizontally as possible. The tunnel was too narrow to allow safe passage for the Normbots, which allowed us the advantage.

"Uh, what's going on?" Vanessa asked. I chattered. "Where're we going?" I chattered again, preparing for a sharp bank up. I executed the maneuver flawlessly, but I could still hear Normbots struggling to get to us. I shot through the hole and leveled out, flying through the doorway within seconds. I hovered over the tarmac, facing the storage unit, listening to the sounds of the Normbots for any indication of their location.

Unconsciously, as the noises approached, I drifted back. "We're screwed, aren't we?" Vanessa asked. I nodded, listening even more closely to the noises from underground.

"Present your papers or be destroyed. Present your papers or be destroyed."

I turned and zoomed off, checking my radar about once every two seconds. I heard one of the Normbots fire a shot, and I turned, swapping my hands out for blasters. I fired at the approaching Normbots. I shot several out of the sky and banked to the side just before smacking into a wall. I returned to the use of my hands and flipped myself over again. "How fast can we get back to Alter Dad's place?" Vanessa asked. I chattered. "Okay, that's doable, I guess." It would have to be, especially while robots were giving chase.

I pulled us over the skyscrapers of Danville, on our way to Doof's forked building. I straigtened out vertically, descending through the window. I tucked my wings back in their place, touching down just after Vanessa let go of me. We took the elevator down to the foyer, where Second Dimension Doofenshmirtz was waiting for us. "So, how did it go?" he asked.

"Well, we found the Normbots, and an underground cave," Vanessa replied. "Oh, and they chased us all the way back here."

"They...what?"

"Present your papers or be destroyed. Present your papers or be destroyed."

I pointed to the elevator, making a point of adopting a no-nonsense look. They walked over immediately, and I followed, pressing the button for Doof's apartment. "Weren't we just up there?" Vanessa asked. I pointed to Doof, and she added, "Oh, right."

The door opened and I checked the radar on my wrist before leading them out of the elevator and into Doof's apartment. The portal was still in the middle of the room, and I could see First Dimension Doof through it, hard at work on something. We stepped through the portal into the First Dimension, inadvertantly distracting Doof from his work. "Oh, look who's here," he said. I pointed to the blueprints and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, these? Perry the Platypus asked for something like this, and I'll be honest, it's taking a lot longer than I expected."

I looked up at my Doof and gestured to his First dimension counterpart. "You want me to help him? Oh, alright. Not like I have anything better to do, anyway, and you never know, it might actually work." He took a seat next to his counterpart, and Vanessa retreated into her room. That left me with one final matter of business to attend to.

PNF

"Platyborg, there you are. I was getting worried," Perry said when I walked into his room.

"You haven't been doing anything dangerous, have you?" I asked.

"Define 'dangerous'."

"Considering your condition, a lot of things are dangerous. Speaking of which, you aren't paralyzed, are you?"

"No, I'm perfectly fine. I went for a walk a little while ago, as a matter of fact."

I sat in one of the chairs at his bedside and examined his bandages more closely. He'd definitely been walking around some, judging by the slight wear and tear, but it didn't look like he did anything to agitate his injuries too much, which was good. "So, learned anything?" I asked.

"Rodney's trying to throw us off the trail by means of a tape player. Carl's examining the player and its tape right now. Have you found anything?"

"Where do I start? Apparently Rodney's been stealing."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"It's not just that he's stealing. He's stolen blueprints for an Otherdimensionator, sans self-destruct button, from your Doof and a storage unit and every rogue Normbot in said storage unit from my Doof. It seems the only thing he does himself is theft."

"And building electric fans."

"What?"

"Long story."

"So, what does he want with all this nonsense?"

"We're working on that right now."

"We already know what he's up to, so why would he try to throw us off?"

"He doesn't know we know what he's doing, but he thinks we're up to something, something he doesn't want us to be up to. He's probably thinking that it's the only logical explanation for our recent antics or something like that."

"So he's trying to get us to make a wrong move."

"And when we do, he'll move in, and he'll hope we won't be able to strike back."

"From now on, trust nothing Rodney tells or shows you. You can only trust the O.W.C.A. agents and your owners. Be careful with regard to Major Monogram and Carl, and whatever you do, don't go out on dangerous missions alone, especially in your condition."

"You remind me of me."

"Good." I stood and rubbed his head. "You be strong, okay? We're gonna make it through this, and if you're anything like me, I know that's no tall order." Perry smiled, and I turned toward the door.

"Hey." I looked back at him. "Thanks."

"No problem," I said with a smile. I walked out of the room and down the hall to Perry's lair. I typed in the access code and examined the interior for a moment before stepping inside.

The lair was quiet and empty, just the way I needed it. I walked over to the computer, turned it on, and entered a few commands. I studied the map that appeared on the screen, especially the blip that indicated Rodney's current location. He was back in his apartment, most likely surveying whatever damage I may have done in my search of the place, or planning his next theft, or whatever his next move will be.

I committed the coordinates to memory. Perhaps I didn't have a final matter of business, after all.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

THIRD PERSON

"Carl, what're you doing?" Major Monogram asked.

"Just studying this tape Agent P. found," Carl replied. "It looks like Rodney's trying to throw us off the trail."

"Whatever you do, don't let that happen."

"Yes, sir."

PNF

Platyborg flew over Danville, back toward Rodney's apartment, running over his plan again and again in his mind. He slipped in through a window to the hall of the fourth floor and made his way to the door numbered four thirteen. He pressed his ear to the door, only to hear rustling noises. Ultimately, he picked the lock and slipped inside.

The main light was on, and so was the Otherdimensionator in the corner. The shades were drawn, however, and it looked like they hadn't been disturbed in some time. He slipped into a nearby closet.

Rodney was reading what Platyborg took to be a newspaper, but if he understood anything, eyes could-and did-lie. Platyborg zoomed in. The newspaper, which it very much was, was several months old. Okay, now that's weird, he thought. If there was any way he could get a look at the inside of the newspaper...

That would have to wait, he thought, as Rodney glanced in his direction. He ducked further into the closet, waiting. Rodney set down his newspaper and walked over to the closet. Platyborg tensed, slipping deeper into the closet and wondering how exactly he would get out of this mess.

Rodney only gave the closet a superficial examination before returning to his newspaper, much to Platyborg's relief. Platyborg looked around the closet before spotting a vent at the top of the wall opposite him. It was much too small for his use, however, so he was forced to think another means of escape.

Platyborg finally peered out of the closet, back at Rodney and his newspaper. The portal to his home dimension seemed to go unnoticed, but he knew he wouldn't have the same luck if he attempted to cross the apartment. He slipped back into the closet's recesses and pulled up his mental map of Rodney's apartment. He was about to pull up his options list as well when he heard something interesting from Rodney. "I know what I'm going to do for the rest of the day."

He peered out of the closet. Rodney had set down the newspaper again and was crossing the apartment to the door. Change of plans, Platyborg thought as he followed Rodney.

PNF

"There, that ought to do it," Phineas said as he looked up to admire the work of himself and his stepbrother. The device in front of them looked remarkably like a platypult, save for a few modifications to its design for functionality purposes.

"Hey, Phineas," Isabella said as she walked into the yard. "Whatcha doin'?"

"We just finished the Platypult Two-Point-Oh."

"Two-Point-Oh?"

"Well, I have the impression that we already built a platypult, so we built another one, except to be more powerful and have a longer range."

"Oh, well, I guess that makes sense. What're you gonna do with it?"

"We don't know yet. We built this for Perry, because he's in the hospital."

"What happened?"

"He took a hard fall."

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"Perry's gonna be just fine."

"Well, that's good."

"So, got any ideas for what we do with it?"

Isabella paused, resting a hand on her chin and looking off into space. Then she said, "I've got nothing. Maybe we should talk to Perry."

"Good idea. We'll be right back."

"Uh, okay. You go do that. I'll wait here and watch the Platypult Two-Point-Oh," Isabella said, her voice getting just a little bit softer and her eyes lowering to the grass as she continued to speak.

Phineas and Ferb waved to her and retreated back into the house.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

PERRY

Phineas and Ferb walked into my room to find me sitting up and twiddling my thumbs. "Hey, buddy," Phineas said. "Wanna come see the new platypult?" I smiled, hopped out of bed and followed the boys on all fours.

When we reached the backyard, Isabella gasped. "Oh, my."

I chattered. "It's okay," Phineas said. "It's not as bad as it looks, apparently."

"Oh, uh, well then. What do you think of the platypult, Perry?" I chattered again, sneaking a glance at the portal behind the contraption that was shaped like me. It was seconds before I heard an all-too-familiar command.

"Present your papers or be destroyed."

I tensed, quickly putting together a plan in my head and trying to assess the situation without blowing my cover.

Normbots were closing in on the portal, and I could see several Resistance members try to fight them off. I let out an urgent chatter and hopped through the portal. "What's Perry doing?" Isabella asked.

"I dunno, but he apparently wants us to stay here and trust him, so I figure he must have some idea of what he's doing," Phineas replied.

"I thought platypuses didn't do much."

"Well, he does disappear a lot."

"Yes, yes he does."

They left it at that and returned their attention to the platypult. Then and only then did I stand on two legs and examine the situation. The Normbots seemed to notice me, but I knocked the heads off two of them before they could get a word in edgewise. I spotted Second Dimension Buford ripping the wiring out of one of the Normbots, the latest in what seemed like a series, based on the robotic carnage covering Second Dimension Maple Street.

"Hey, look, their Perry's here," Buford said when he looked up at me.

"Good," Second Dimension Candace replied. "We could use all the help we can get." She kicked one Normbot into another. "Where do all these robots come from, anyway?" I chattered. This was already pretty bad. What was the harm in them knowing? Of course, then it occurred to me that they couldn't understand platypus like my owners.

A Normbot descended, taking aim at the portal. I leapt into the air and slapped its arm away with my tail, landing a kick as I went. "Pretty good for you getting out of the hospital," one of the Firestorm Girls said as she worked at the back panel of one of the Normbots that had been knocked out of the air.

I nodded to the girl and looked up at the few Normbots that remained airbourne over Second Dimension Maple Street. It would be quick and easy to take them all out without agitating my injuries too much. I was running through my strategy again, but just as I was about to act, someone was already doing the acting for me.

Normbots were launched in all directions, and I couldn't register exactly who or what was causing the damage. Whoever or whatever it was was moving too swiftly.

One of the pieces of a Normbot landed on a sweet spot, triggering a laser from the palm of its hand. My mind kicked into slow motion, and I found myself reacting instinctively, lunging for the boys. I launched myself over the platypult and tackled the kids just as the laser nicked the top of the platypult and the edge of the roof before firing off into space.

"Okay, now I really wanna know what's going on," Isabella said.

"Looks like a battle's going on. Come to think of it, it looks pretty familiar," Phineas replied, looking up at me.

I hopped up onto all fours, turned toward the portal, and found myself staring into an all-too-familiar face.


End file.
